


L'amour Macabre

by BlueRaven666



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Drama & Romance, Gen, Ghouls, Original Character(s), Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-09-17 03:26:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9302150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueRaven666/pseuds/BlueRaven666
Summary: Tsukiyama desperately seeks the help of the ghouls at Anteiku when an old friend decides to visit. Walking a fine line between love and fear, he suddenly finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place; forced to choose between his beloved Kaneki or his dangerous fianceé.





	1. Prologue

Tsukiyama sipped his coffee quietly.

He took a moment to admire its flavor and aroma. He loved the coffee his father made. His brews would definitely give Yoshimura a run for his money, the thought making him smirk. Then there was his beloved Kaneki. What did his brews taste like, he wondered? Were they just as delicious as those of his father and Yoshimura? Or were they more bitter? If he mixed a bit of his blood into the cup, would the coffee take on his exquisite taste? Or maybe if he were to slice off a piece of the boy's flesh, even if it was just a sliver, would it be just like how humans dunked doughnuts and biscuits into their coffee?

Tsukiyama's stomach let out a fierce growl, and he smiled to himself. All these thoughts of coffee and blood and flesh were making him hungry, and dinner was still hours away.

His father, Mirumo, sat beside him, watching him enjoy his coffee. He poured himself a cup and leaned back in his chair.

"Something on your mind, son?" He asked.

Tsukiyama let out a sigh as he elegantly crossed his legs and took another sip from his cup.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking about how wonderful this coffee is."

Mirumo licked a bit of coffee from the tips of his mustache. He knew better; the whole house did. Shuu Tsukiyama was obsessed with Ken Kaneki. The bloody napkin he'd sealed away in a sandwich bag and hid away in his pockets was the solid evidence of that. Of course, the blood was stale and dried out by now, losing the interest of every other ghoul in the 20th ward, but Tsukiyama still managed to find the scent that had captivated his senses since the moment he first encountered it in Anteiku.

And that was a bit of a problem.

"I got a call from Chinatsu today," Mirumo finally piped up.

Tsukiyama paused. His appetite flew south. He felt sick; no, it was worse than that. His stomach flipped and his heart fluttered. Excitement and fear enveloped him. Every childhood memory, bizarre fantasy, and horrific nightmare rushed over him just from hearing that name.

"I knew you would be upset when I told you," his father continued, "but I think you'd be even more upset if I hadn't said anything."

Tsukiyama set his cup down on it's saucer.

"I'm not upset," he said calmly, "I'm glad she still keeps in touch."

Both statements were true, and both were false as well. He was upset, to a degree, but both his father and Chinatsu weren't people he could take his anger out on. Then again, he was glad. There were very few people and ghouls in the world who enjoyed his company. Yoshimura and a little Hinami tolerated his presence to a certain extent, and he was pretty popular at the parties he would host, but there weren't a lot of people he could sit down and share his personal interests with. Chinatsu was one of the few people who gave him that.

Despite all of this, though, she also terrified him.

"I'm glad to hear it," Mirumo stated, "Chinatsu plans on coming over for a few weeks spent some time with you. She should arrive sometime later this evening."

Tsukiyama felt his stomach churn as his heart leapt into his throat. Now he really felt like he was going to be sick. He stood up slowly before his queasiness overpowered him.

"Where are you going?" His father asked.

"I just need some fresh air is all," Tsukiyama replied, "I'll be back later."

On an ordinary stroll around town, Tsukiyama would normally change into one of his bright, colorful outfits; something that he could feel visible in, but this wasn't the time for such formalities. Instead, he took off out the door in a dead sprint and nothing but a plain white collared shirt, a pair of slacks, and his indoor shoes.

He flew through the courtyard and out onto the street. He had only ran a couple of blocks when something caught his eye.

He only caught a glimpse as he ran past her; pink frills, white lace, and a pair of bright pink eyes. His heart started beating wildly as he forced to run fast.

Somehow he knew she would try to come early.

"Chinatsu . . ."


	2. Chapter 1

Transitioning from the life of a human to the life of a ghoul didn't come easy for Kaneki. He'd been working at Anteiku for weeks, and he still struggled to blend in. Even when it was something as small as pretending to eat lunch with Hide or serving other customer that was also a ghoul, he still couldn't make it look like it was natural for him to take a bite out of a sandwich or treat them like they were just another person. And, as always, whenever he screwed up, Touka was right there yelling at him.

He didn't exactly blame her for it, though. Not listening to Touka's advice had almost gotten him killed a few times. Between his own stubborn yet naïve nature and the other ghouls of the 20th Ward, he needed her just to keep his ass alive.

Kaneki glanced at Touka from across the restaurant as he wiped down a table. She always came across as friendly and polite while serving customers. Whenever he was with Hide, it was always hard to believe he was seeing the same person. Then he would receive a rough jab to the ribs or a menacing glare from another table, and he'd be brought back to his reality. Touka was cute, but she was also scary.

Kaneki glanced around the shop. Touka was waiting on customers, Nishio was at the counter, likely trying to figure out a way to get out of work. Hinami sat at a table reading. And Yoshimura stood behind the counter, brewing coffee. It was a relatively peaceful afternoon. No major incidents, no new word on the doves (which probably couldn't be considered a good thing.) And Kaneki had managed to keep his embarrassing screw ups to a minimum. All he had after this was his training with Yomo, which was bound to go as horribly as they always did, and he was done for the day.

"Is something the matter, Kaneki?" Yoshimura piped up, noticing that the boy was lost in thought.

"Oh, it's nothing," Kaneki replied, jumping slightly, "I was just thinking about how quiet it's been lately."

A little too quiet, it seemed. When he was a human, quiet days were just another day for him. They were the days he'd spend at bookstores or listening to the television at home. Now that he was a ghoul, he lived a ghoul's life. Dodging attacks from other ghouls and keeping an eye out for the CCG were daily tasks. Hearing about other ghouls being killed, either by doves or some other enemy, were in the rumors at Anteiku just as often as homicides were on the new local news. He still remembered how hard it was for on everyone when Mrs. Feuguchi was killed. He had to get over the fact that his life wasn't going to be as quiet as it once was, and he and the people he cared about were one mistake away from winding up dead.

Kaneki shook the thought off as he went back to cleaning, one of the few things that he could do right at Anteiku. Sweep floors, wipe down tables, help Hinami with her reading, and go food shopping with Yomo. Since his coffee making skills weren't quite up to par with Yoshimura's yet, he had to make himself useful in other ways.

Just as he was finishing up his shift, the door swung open with a loud boom. The small bell at the corner of the door rang at a painfully high volume, so loud everyone thought it would break off of the door. Before anyone could ask any questions or give any sort of greeting, a flash of purple flew across the coffee shop and dove behind the counter.

Yoshimura let out a surprise gasp as a familiar face sat under the counter or the terrified expression on his face.

"Tsukiyama?"

Touka instantly marched over to the counter, fists clenched and her face twisted in annoyance.

"What are you doing, creepy bastard?" she growled.

The petrified gourmet shushed her, eyes pleading.

"Whatever you do, don't tell her I'm here!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Just then, the shop's door opened once more. It was much more gentle this time as the bell let out a light ring.

Touka turned from Tsukiyama long enough to let out a greeting.

"Welcome to Anteiku!"

Touka paused. The person that walked in had stopped at the door. She was a ghoul that was relatively small in size. Her milky white skin complemented the pretty pastel pink dress she wore, full of frills and decorated with white lace and a black bow tied around her waist. Her hair was a cotton candy pink in color and fell in delicate curls down to the middle of her back. They matched the shade of her eyes, which seemed to shine as the afternoon sun hit them.

The girl stood there for a moment before her gaze locked on Touka. She approached her in small steps, ignoring the expressions of shock and confusion coming from the customers and employees.

"Uhh, can I help you?" Touka asked nervously.

The girl pulled a piece of paper out of the small handbag she carried and held it up. It was a photo of a familiar looking man with dark purple hair.

"Have you seen him?" She asked in a soft voice, "he ran in this direction, but I haven't been able to find him."

Touka glanced over to Tsukiyama, who shook his head frantically. She could decide to rat him out, figuring that's what he deserved for causing so much trouble for the employees at Anteiku. But then she thought about it a bit more. Tsukiyama was hiding from this girl, and was clearly frightened. It was completely abnormal for him to be afraid of someone or something and outwardly show it. If anything, he'd try to mask it with a smile and at least pretend that everything was all right, but this was not the case.

"Not today, I haven't," she replied, "Tsukiyama comes in to say hi every great once in a while and pester us, but we haven't seen him recently."

"Alright," the girl said as she put the picture back in her handbag, "if you do see him, could you pass on a message for me?"

"Sure. No problem."

"Tell him Chinatsu is waiting for him back at the mansion and that dinner will be ready when he gets there."

"Sure thing. I'll let him know as soon as he comes in."

"Thank you."

The girl gave a court bow and turned to leave, but paused a moment as her eyes settled on Kaneki. There was something in her gaze that he couldn't quite figure out, a combination of recognition and realization. She took a few steps towards him, looking him over.

"You're Ken Kaneki."

It wasn't a question, it was a full blown statement. An acknowledgment, something that she knew already, yet the two of them had never met before.

"Um . . . Yeah, that's me," Kaneki replied nervously.

The girl was silent for a moment before she cracked a small smile.

"I'm Chinatsu Tsukiyama," she said, "Shuu speaks highly of you."

"Y-yeah. I'm very well aware of that . . ."

Images flashed through Kaneki's mind of when he and the flamboyant gourmet first met. He had to admit, he was attractive and had a way with words, especially whenever he talked about books. But right from the get-go, he always came on a bit too strong, and if he could find the words he'd tell him that he wasn't all that interested.

"Make sure Shuu stays out of trouble, okay?" Chinatsu asked.

"Sure, no problem," Kaneki answered.

Chinatsu bowed once more before turning and disappearing out the door, Leaving the one-eyed ghoul a little bewildered. She had a similar vibe that Rize had before she attacked him; quiet, quirky, ladylike, and a total bookworm. Then again, that act had led him astray before. It was entirely possible for Chinatsu to be just like Rize and Tsukiyama, just another wolf in sheep's clothing.

Touka let out a sigh before turning to the cowering gourmet, "She's gone. You can come out now."

A relieved sigh escaped Tsukiyama as he stood up, "Merci beaucoup, Ms. Kirishima."

Almost instantly, Touka's annoyance returned.

"Now are you going to explain what the hell's going?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merci beaucoup: (French) "Thank you very much"


	3. Chapter 2

It was the first time in a long time that Tsukiyama actually took the time to sit down at Anteiku and drink a cup of coffee. Normally, he would just drop by for a couple of minutes to pester Touka bit and inform Yoshimura on the latest happenings around the 20th Ward, but being aware that he was one of the most hated ghouls in the city was an intimidating notion and often contributed to his short visits. It was just easier to come in, say what he had to say, and then leave.

The staff at Anteiku waited until the shop closed before continuing on with their discussion. They had already taken a big enough risk with Tsukiyama bursting through the door and leaping over the counter and with Chinatsu showing up and speaking so openly with the rest of them. The last thing anyone wanted was to have someone call the CCG and get them all killed. Of course, Tsukiyama had to go the extra mile and ordered a freshly brewed cup of coffee from his beloved Kaneki.

"So what's this about, Tsukiyama?" Nishio asked, "Who was that girl?"

The gourmet took a sip from his cup. He cringed at the taste slightly, finding it nowhere near as tasty as Yoshimura's brews.

"Chinatsu Tsukiyama," he said, "as her name suggests, we're related. Cousins, actually. She lives quite a ways away in Sendai, so we rarely see each other. This has to be the first time we've seen each other in three years. It's amazing to see that she's all grown up."

Touka rolled her eyes, "If it's so amazing, why are you hiding from her?"

"Yeah," Kaneki agreed, "I mean she didn't seem all that bad to me. She was very sweet and polite."

Tsukiyama was silent for a moment before setting down his cup.

"That's the thing," he said, "she is sweet and polite; probably one of the nicest people I know. We used to carry on for hours over different topics that interested us as kids. Books, dining habits, and while I played the piano, she would play the cello. The thing is . . . she does have one habit that unsettles me."

"And what would that be?" Yoshimura asked.

". . . She's a cannibal."

The atmosphere instantly changed. The silence that filled the air made it uncomfortable, almost to the point where it was unbearable. Ghouls that fed on the flesh of other ghouls were probably the one thing that ghouls had to fear aside from doves and the CCG, and a cannibalistic gourmet was all the more dangerous.

"Big deal," Nishio finally said, "I mean she obviously cares about you. She probably wouldn't even consider laying a hand on you."

"That's where you're wrong, Nishiki," Tsukiyama countered, "Chinatsu is obsessed with me in every sense. Once, as kids, she bit off one of my fingers while we were playing. It must have tasted good, because she's been hell-bent on taking another bite ever sense."

Kaneki felt a chill run up his spine. What Tsukiyama was saying sounded almost exactly like how the gourmet looked at him. Was the kindness and charm that Chinatsu displayed all a ploy to get at him, or did she actually care about him and just had a funny way of showing it? Kaneki looked over to Touka, who looked just about as ready to throw Tsukiyama out as when he first sprinted through the door.

"This is ridiculous," she groaned, "I mean how many years ago was that? She hasn't killed you yet, so stop worrying about it and take your pity party somewhere else!"

"Tsukiyama," Yoshimura spoke up, "I don't suppose there's another reason why you don't wish to return home to Chinatsu."

"No, there is," Tsukiyama replied, "Chinatsu is different from other members of our family. She's one of the few who beat the odds and became a kakuja; a full kakuja. I've never seen her fight with it, heck, I don't even know if she's ever fought with it, but I've seen the form it takes. That's what terrifies me the most."

"I see. Have you tried talking to her about this? I mean family, after all.

Tsukiyama shook his head, "Shameful, I know, all things considered."

"What do you mean by that?" Kaneki asked.

Tsukiyama could only crack a small smile, "Chinatsu is my fianceé."

Out of nowhere, Touka lashed out at the purple haired gourmet, sending him flying across the coffee shop with a powerful kick.

"Creepy bastard!" She snarled, "so not only have you been hitting on Kaneki this whole time, but your own cousin is also your fianceé?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Yoshimura lifted his hand to silence her. Plenty of ghouls knew that the Tsukiyama family was well known for having consanguineous marriages to strengthen familial bonds. Because of this, it was no surprise that members of the family inherited a genetic defect that affect their RC cells, making it extremely unlikely for cannibalism to have any effect on them. So when Tsukiyama said that Chinatsu had beaten the odds, it was true. That made it likely that she was the only kakuja in the entire family.

Tsukiyama picked himself up and casually dusted himself off.

"It would seem I've overstayed my welcome," he said with a sigh, "Perhaps I should be going."

"You're sure you'll be alright?" Yoshimura asked him, "You're more than welcome to stay here if you do not feel safe going back."

"Oh, I'm sure I'll be fine. I'm just hoping Nishiki is correct in his thinking and Chinatsu won't consider laying a hand on me."

Tsukiyama collected himself and looked over to Kaneki.

"Thank you for the coffee. It was quite tasty."

Kaneki knew that it was a lie. He had watched Tsukiyama try to choke the drink down all evening. Then again, he already knew that the gourmet was willing to go great lengths for him, even if it was just trying to down a poorly brewed cup of coffee.

"Any time," was all the one-eyed ghoul could squeak out.

"Bonsoir, then. Good night, everyone."

Everyone in the coffeeshop exchanged rather uncomfortable glances to each other as Tsukiyama disappeared out the door. Tsukiyama was typically very confident whenever he said something, but everything he had said about Chinatsu all seemed a little hesitant. It borderlined him acting like he didn't know her intentions in visiting him and acting like he didn't know her at all. And what he had said before leaving just sounded like words of reassurance to allow the others to let him leave.

"Is that weirdo really going to be okay, like he says?" Nishio asked, "He seemed to be and then awful hurry to go home to a cannibal."

"Who cares?" Touka grumbled, "Whatever happens to him he usually brings upon himself. It'll serve him right if he gets eaten."

Kaneki wasn't worried about that. He was more focused on his brief encounter with Chinatsu. She knew who who he was almost instantly, but how? Tsukiyama could only tell her so much. Was it his face that gave it away; the eyepatch? Was it a unique scent that had the purple haired gourmet infatuated with him that did it? Or did she just know somehow? No matter the case, Kaneki knew one thing for certain: he felt just as unsettled by Chinatsu as Tsukiyama did.


	4. Chapter 3

Tsukiyama never imagined that walking home could be so dreadful.

He knew what was in store for him when he returned home. Kanae would greet him and escort him into the dining hall. His father would be seated at the head of the table, like usual, and Chinatsu would be sitting directly across from his seat. Dinner would be served, and he was sure it would taste wonderful if Chinatsu's stare wouldn't leave a bitter taste in his mouth. From there, it'd be the typical, "Where have you been? What took you so long?" conversation followed by the, "How have you been? What have you been up to recently?" conversation. He knew this as these had been the typical first-dinner conversations Chinatsu would start whenever she visited.

However, this time he didn't have an excuse. He had told his father that he was going for a stroll, but he'd never taken one that lasted well into the evening. He could tell them that he was out hunting for prey if he had a promising specimen to show for it, but the only people that usually came out after dark were other ghouls and the foul-tasting humans that he wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. If he just told the truth and said that he was at Anteiku the entire time, Chinatsu would know that he hid just before she walked in. Tsukiyama could only imagine how she would react, and the thought that scared him the most wasn't that she'd take it out on him, but on the employees at Anteiku. On Kaneki, and if she so much as looked at his precious Kaneki the wrong way, he didn't know if he could keep himself from killing her.

In his eyes, Chinatsu was a ticking time bomb.

Before he knew it, Tsukiyama found himself standing outside the front door of the mansion. It was times like these where he cursed his long legs for taking long strides as he walked, and Kanae was probably patiently waiting on the other side of that door for him to let himself in. Tsukiyama let out a sigh, slightly regretting that he turned down Yoshimura's offer to let him stay the night at Anteiku. However, deep down he knew that he'd just be putting off the inevitable. It wasn't unlike Chinatsu to track him down and drag him back to the mansion by force.

Reluctantly, Tsukiyama opened the door and stepped inside.

As he had predicted, Kanae stepped forward from a nearby corner and gave a low bow.

"Welcome home, Master Shuu," she greeted.

Tsukiyama gave a small nod of acknowledgement as they walked down the corridor towards the dining hall.

"You should get changed, Master Shuu," Kanae continued, "I can smell the coffee from here. You were at Anteiku, weren't you?"

Tsukiyama pulled the collar of his shirt to his nose and gave a small sniff. Sure enough, the strong aroma of the coffee Kaneki had served him still clung to the fabric. It might not seem that unusual to his father, but Chinatsu would definitely be more than a little suspicious.

"Alright," he said, "Tell everyone that I'll be there shortly."

Tsukiyama took his time making his way to his room. Deep down, he knew that he was stalling, procrastinating on having to face Chinatsu while they ate dinner. If he could, he'd take a nice, long, hot bath, lock himself in his bedroom, and read until he was ready to go to bed. But that wouldn't stop Chinatsu. She'd be able to sense his hunger from a mile away, and she'd probably break down the door to get answers for him. Tsukiyama knew that if he wanted this evening to be quick and as painless as possible, things would have to be settled at the dinner table.

The purple-haired gourmet thumbed through his wardrobe, pulling out many of his brightly colored suits and shirts. Most of his outfits consisted of combinations of red and purple with a wide variety of patterns. There was the white suit that he only wore for special occasions, the same suit he wore when he brought Kaneki to the Ghoul Restaurant where he planned on eating him many weeks ago. There was the purple suit he had worn at the church, but it was still in tatters and in need of repair. There were the casual clothes that he used to wear to school and now only wore when he felt he needed to blend in with a crowd.

And then there was the pink suit . . .

Pink . . .

The color looked good on the various flowers in the garden, and it suited Chinatsu perfectly. However, Tsukiyama thought it hardly suited him and only wore it in the spring when the cherry blossoms were beginning to bloom. Then he thought about Chinatsu's typical color scheme of pink, white, and black. If he wore those same colors to dinner, it'd surely make the pink-haired gourmet smile.

Tsukiyama stripped himself of his coffee-scented garments and pulled the pink suit off of its hanger along with a black dress shirt and white tie. He quickly dressed himself and looked himself over in a mirror. He attempted to strike a pose to lift his spirits from the gloom of having to go to dinner, but still found himself with a displeased frown that he couldn't lift.

Defeated, Tsukiyama let out a sigh as he left his bedroom.

"I never thought I'd be this upset at having to go to dinner." he said to himself.

Tsukiyama made his way back towards the dining hall where Kanae still stood as she waited for him.

"Tell me they haven't finished yet," he said as they made their way towards the door to the dining room.

"No, they haven't, Master Shuu," Kanae replied, "In fact, I don't think they've touched their food yet. Your father and Chinatsu were really determined to wait until you had returned."

"I see . . ."

It seemed that things hadn't changed from when Tsukiyama and Chinatsu were kids. Even back then, Chinatsu would refuse to eat until she knew he had eaten first. She knew that hunger was painful, and he knew that she would sooner let herself starve than let him go hungry. He was thankful that she knew nothing of his little fiasco at the church, or she most likely would have butchered everyone from Sendai to Tokyo and served them on a platter for him, human or not. It was just one of the many ways she showed that she cared about him, even if she had a funny way of showing it sometimes.

With that thought easing his nerves, Tsukiyama threw the dining room doors open.

As expected, Mirumo and Chinatsu were seated at the table with full plates in front of them. Mirumo seemed to have been picking away at portions of the freshly harvested heart sitting on his plate while Chinatsu hadn't bothered to touch it, sitting with her hands placed on her lap.

"Forgive my tardiness," Tsukiyama said as he entered the room, "that stroll around town took longer than I had planned, and then I had trouble deciding what to wear. You know how it is . . ."

"Shuu . . ." Chinatsu piped up, locking eyes with the purple-haired gourmet.

"Um, yes?" Tsukiyama responded nervously, not know if she had somehow seen through his partially fabricated excuse.

Chinatsu eyed him for a moment before cracking a small smile.

"You look very handsome this evening, like a pretty flower."

The tension eased out of Tsukiyama's shoulders at the pink-haired gourmet's compliment. It was times like these that made him forget why he was so scared of her. She had a poetic eloquence in the way that she spoke that she never used for the sake of luring in prey as he did, but rather she used it when it was needed; when others felt down or afraid, just as he had been mere moments ago.

"I'm glad you could join us for dinner," Mirumo commented as he plucked a bit of meat from his fork, "Yours was made special. It's one of Chinatsu's catches."

Tsukiyama tried to hide the nervous shiver that ran through him.

"It's not another ghoul, is it?" he asked as he sat down in his chair, "She knows that our tastes in prey are quite different, and that cannibalism has zero effect on me."

"I know that," Chinatsu replied as she prodded the heart on her plate with her knife, "That's why I brought one of my servants from my home in Sendai. Turns out she was a human, and when she threatened to report us to the CCG, I killed her."

"You mean you didn't know she was a human?" Tsukiyama inquired, "Is your sense of smell going, or something?"

Chinatsu smiled as she shook her head, "I gave her the benefit of the doubt. Don't worry, I killed her before she had the chance to contact anybody. I made sure of that."

"Sure, but is this prey any good? Humans like that are often foul-tasting."

"I thought she was pretty tasty. Sweet and savory with a nice aroma. It almost makes you want a fresh cup of coffee to go with the meal."

A plate was set in front of Tsukiyama. On it sat a human heart that had been prepared in the French style along with four fingers that had been skinned and rid of the nail, and the dish appeared to have been garnished with a thick blood sauce. Just looking at it made his mouth water. He peeled off a small strip of meat from one of the severed didgets with his fork and took a small bite from it. He was instantly taken by the sweet flavor of the meat and the rich flavor brought out by the blood.

"Do you . . . like it?" Chinatsu asked.

"Assez magnifique!" Tsukiyama replied with a smile, "A truly delicious morsel."

"I'm glad."

The three ghouls ate their meals silently for several minutes before Chinatsu piped up.

"So I met your friend, Kaneki, today . . ."

Tsukiyama froze. It seemed like with that simple phrase, a switch had been flipped. The food in his mouth went sour, the little peace of mind he had managed to gain left him, and his appetite flew south once more.

"Did you?" he managed to choke out calmly.

"That coffee shop you told me about, Anteiku, I passed by it on my way here, and I decided to see for myself if it was really as wonderful as you said it was. And it just so happened that Kaneki was working at the time."

Tsukiyama felt his heart beat violently in his chest. He knew well that Kaneki was a magnet for other ghouls. His unique scent could be smelled for miles, and of all the ghouls to notice it, Tsukiyama himself was the most guilty of obsessively chasing it. In fact, he was surprised that the 13th Ward's Jason and other S rated ghouls like him hadn't hunted him down and devoured him yet.

With that thought in mind, he was terrified to hear what his cousin, his fiancée, thought of him.

Chinatsu dabbed a smear of blood off of the corner of her mouth with a napkin.

"He seems like a nice boy, but I can't see why you adore him so," she stated, "True, his scent is a bit strange, but it's nothing I'd get my taste buds in a knot over. I'm just glad you're fortunate enough to have good friends like him and the others at Anteiku to look after you."

A small chuckle escaped from Tsukiyama's throat. Then a slight giggle, and then he laughed. Not that anything about this was funny to him. He just felt relieved, because for a moment it looked like he'd have to fight his betrothed to keep his beloved Kaneki all to himself.


End file.
